Although Queen Elizabeth II died last week after 70 years on the British throne, her legacy will be remembered by some Greek Australians who had personal experiences with the monarch during her 16 visits to Australia.
One such Greek Australian was Zaharoula Zervos from Kingsford in Sydney’s eastern suburbs.
Speaking to The Sydney Morning Herald, Ms Zervos remembered waving to a young Queen Elizabeth when she visited Katoomba in 1954 and yelling out “Yassou Philip” to the Queen’s Greece-born husband, who passed away in 2021 at the age of 99.
Ms Zervos was “delighted” to see the Prince wave back at her in response.
Later in 1970, the 85-year-old had a second chance to see the monarch when she drove along Sydney’s Macquarie Street to Government House.
“When we were on Macquarie Street, the car was going very, very slowly and my daughter Kaliopi was right at the front and looked at the car. And the Queen turned around and looked at Kaliopi who still remembers it,” Ms Zervos told the SMH.
Kaliopi picked up the story at this stage and described how she was pushed onto the car window by the surging crowd and the Queen “looked at me and smiled.”
Ms Zervos and Kaliopi weren’t the only Greek Australians to have fond memories of the Queen.
94-year-old Kytherian, Stephen Zantiotis, who The Greek Herald interviewed last week, also shared a small movie he made when Queen Elizabeth visited his hometown of Wollongong in 1954.
The boss of Racing NSW and Chairman of the Australian Rugby League (ARL) Commission, Peter V’landys, also recalled his recent lunch with Queen Elizabeth this year at Windsor Castle on the outskirts of London.
“She was mischievous,” the proud Kytherian told the SMH. “I gave a few barbs and she gave as good as she got. You could tell she was enjoying it because she had a little grin on her face.”
Over lunch, which was also attended by the newly-proclaimed King Charles III, V’landys said the late Queen shared the origins of her passion for horses and questioned him on his background as a Greek immigrant to Australia.
READ MORE: From Kythera to Rugby League: Peter V’landys on how Greek parents influenced his career.
Source: The Sydney Morning Herald.
